Device for exterminating rodents.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. BOYLAN, JR., F PEORIIA, ILLINOIS.

DEVICE FOR EXTERMINATING -RODENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,535, dated February24,1903. Application filed June 4, 1902. Serial No. 110,243. (to model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN B. BOYLAN, Jr., a citizen of the United States,residing'at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices forExterminating Rodents; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enableIO others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use thesame.

Thisinvention pertains to devices, for usein destroying pests-such asground-squirrels, moles, and the likeby introducing poisonous fumes intotheir burrows under ground.

My invention also pertains to certain details of construction that willbe pointed out in the accompanying claim.

My object is to provide a simple yet ef- 2o fective device for the abovepurpose that can Vice.

be easily carried around in the discharge of ones ordinary duties andwhen found necessary can be used almost instantly to destroy an animalwhen its nest or burrow is found.

In order to carry out fully the idea of my invention and show its useand construction,

I have provided the accompanying drawings,

40 within the body A a partition D. At the back adjacent to thecompartment 0 is secured anair-pump E, which may be fastened by means ofsuitable straps F or other good means as will present itself .to themind of the maker.v Said pump, as shown in Fig. 2, is connected withthecompartment 0 through an inlet-nipple G. The usual piston is providedfor the pump, the rod for which is shown at H, so that air may be pumpedinto said compartment 0 and put under as much pressure as may bedesired, the object of which will presently appear.

Attached to the front of the body A is a tube I, to the free outer endof which is or may be attached a flexible tube J ,whose other end isadapted to be pushed into the burrow of the rodent to be exterminated.Projecting into such tube I is the end of a small pipe K, whose oppositeend perforates the partition D and opens into the compartment 0,

i from which the air is conducted into the tube I described. A valve Lin the pipe serves to regulate or entirely stop the flow of air, as willbe understood.

In the bottom of the compartment B, I place a sulfur-torch M, which whenburning generates or produces a deadly fume, which, arising, wouldnaturally find egress through the tube I. Now by having the pipe K enterthe said tube and conduct air thereinto under pressure the fumes of thesulfur are forced out through said tube and into the flexible tube J,which, if inserted in the burrow, will quickly andthoroughly fill thelatter with the fumes. It has. been found that by this treatment theanimal survives but a few seconds, and wherever the holes of therodentsare found, if treated to a supply of the sulfuric fumes, vastterritories are rid of these pests in a very short time.

It will be understood that in order to reach the interior of thecompartment B for entering or withdrawing the torch some means ofreaching such interior must be provided, and this consists of ascrew-cap N, which is de signed to be screwed upon a threaded flange O,as shown in Fig. 1. Through the opening thus provided the hand may bethrust to enter or withdraw the torch, and sufficient air will beadmitted through this to supply the torch with oxygen, or holes may bepunched in the wall of the body to admit such' air.

By employing the said air-chamber and keeping a supply of air on handthe user need merely keep the pump working leisurely, having by means ofsaid chamber a constant supply of air under pressure. A furtheradvantage is that a steady issuance of the fumes from the tube I willresult in a more thorough and a quicker filling of the burrow from endto end.

It is at once evident that by providing a steady and unbroken current ofpoisonous vapor instead of a series of puffs, as in the older forms ofthis class of devices of which I am aware, a continuous pressure andconsequent steady movement of air is started through the burrow, thuscarrying the pure air out at the opposite end and substituting poisonousfumes therefor in a short space of time. This means a saving of time,less work, and surer results. The valve L, above referred to, serves toregulate the flow of air, as already stated, whereby by its use a strongor weak flow of air may be had to suit the particular work in hand, andat the same time in regulating the valve the air can be held back, so asto always have a supply at hand without the necessity of much hard orcontinuouspumping. Again,byclosingthevalve when the work is finished theair not used is retained for the next job of like nature. Hitherto aconstruction like mine has not been used, in so far as I am aware.

Evidently the opening in the nipple Gr must be larger than the openingthrough the pipe K, so that more air is entered to the chamber C than iscarried away through said pipe. As a matter of fact, however, the valveL, which can be reached from the outside by the elongated stem thereof,can be regulated to any degree, so as to lot as much or little air passout as desired. In this way the relation of the openings just mentionedmay be ignored.

Having thus made known my intents, I claim- In a device of the characterdescribed for exterminating rodents, the rectangular hollow body havingthe two compartments B and C, the former in which to generate andcontain poisonous fumes, the latter chamber being air-tight forcontaining air under pressure, an air-compression pump E adjacent to,communicating with, and adapted for compressing air within thecompartment 0, the same being attached to and opening into suchcompartment substantially as shown and described, a discharge-tube I forthe compartment B the same being attached to and opening into suchcompartment substantially as shown, an air-conducting pipe Kcommunicating with the air-compartment C and extending across thecompartment 13 and terminating within the tube I for the purposesdescribed, and the valve L in the pipe K to regulate the flow ofcompressed air to the outlet, or hold back suclr compressed air andregulate its flow, or entirely stop said flow of air as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN B. BOYLAN, JR.

Witnesses:

L. M. THURLOW, ARTHUR KEITHLEY.

